Varaha Purana - Adhyaya 52
Varaha PuranaAdhyaya 5211 Shlokas

Adhyaya 52: The Genealogy of Trivarṇa, Manohvā, and the Akṣa Lineage, with the Construction of the Nine-Gated City

Trivarṇa-Manohvā-Akṣa-vaṃśaḥ (Nava-dvāra-pura-nirmāṇaṃ ca)

Mythic-Anthropology and Cosmological Allegory (Body–City symbolism; Kingship and Ritual Order)

في الإطار التعليمي بين فاراها وبريثيفي، يورد هذا الفصل رواية أغاستيا عن سلالة تُظهر كيف يُفرض النظام على مجال اجتماعي كان غير منضبط. يَظهر تريفارṇa من انبعاث ملك، ثم تُولد ابنة هي تجسيد «اليقظة» (Avabodha-svarūpiṇī)، ثم ابن يُدعى مانوهڤا. ومن نسله خمسة «متمتّعين» (pañca-bhoginaḥ) وأبناؤهم يُعرفون مجتمعين باسم أكṣا. ويذكر النص أنهم كانوا من الداسيو، ثم أُخضعوا لسلطان الملك، فشيّدوا معًا مسكنًا مباركًا: مدينة ذات تسعة أبواب، وعمود واحد، وأربعة مفارق طرق، تحيط بها أنهار كثيرة ومنشآت مائية. بدخولهم المدينة يتوحّدون؛ ويتجلّى ملك ذو جسد يُدعى باشوبالا، فيستحضر كلام الفيدا ويُقيم النذور والضوابط والطقوس. ومن انشغاله بالشعائر ومن نومه اليوغي يُنجب هيئة ذات أربعة وجوه وأربع أذرع مرتبطة بالفيدات الأربع، ثم تخضع الحيوانات في مواطن شتى لحكم الملك.

Speakers

VarāhaPṛthivīAgastya

Key Concepts

trivarṇa (social-typological symbolism)avabodha-svarūpiṇī (personified cognition/awakening)pañca-bhoginaḥ (five-fold enjoyment; possible sense-complex allegory)akṣa (lineage-name; also semantic field of ‘axis/die/eye’)dasyu → vaśīkṛta (subjugation and incorporation into polity)nava-dvāra-pura (nine-gated city; body–polis metaphor)eka-stambha (single pillar/axis motif)catuṣpatha (four crossroads; spatial/ritual ordering)karmakāṇḍa (ritual performance as governance technology)yoga-nidrā (creative latency; generative trance)caturvaktra–caturbāhu (four-faced, four-armed archetype; Vedic totality)pṛthivī-santulana (implicit terrestrial order via waterworks and habitat governance)
Recitation with translationVaraha Purana Adhyaya 52

Shlokas in Adhyaya 52

Verse 1

अगस्त्य उवाच । स त्रिवर्णो नृपोत्सृष्टः स्वतन्त्रत्वाच्च पार्थिव । अहं नामानमसृजत् पुत्रं पुत्रस्त्रिवर्णकम् ॥ ५२.१ ॥

قال أغاستيا: «أيها الملك، إنّ تريفَرْنَةَ ذاك—وقد أطلقه الملك—صار مستقلًّا. ثم أنجبتُ ابنًا اسمه نامانا؛ وكان ذلك الابن تريفَرْنَكَة».

Verse 2

तस्यापि चाभवत् कन्या अवबोधस्वरूपिणी । सा तु विज्ञानदं पुत्रं मनोह्वं विससर्ज ॥ ५२.२ ॥

وكذلك وُلد له ابنةٌ كانت حقيقتُها اليقظةَ والفهمَ الواضح. ثم إنها أنجبت ابنًا—فيجنانادا—وسُمّي مَنوهفا.

Verse 3

तस्यापि सर्वरूपाः स्युः स्तनयाः पञ्चभोगिनः । यथासंख्येन पुत्रास्तु तेषामक्षाभिधानकाः ॥ ५२.३ ॥

وله أيضًا أبناءٌ على شتّى الصور، يُعرَفون بـ«الخمسة المتمتّعين». وعلى الترتيب، فإن أبناءَهم هم الذين يحملون لقب «أكشا».

Verse 4

एते पूर्वं दस्यवः स्युस्ततो राज्ञा वशीकृताः । अमूर्ता इव ते सर्वे चक्रुरायतनं शुभम् ॥ ५२.४ ॥

هؤلاء كانوا من قبلُ داسيو (dāsyu)، ثم أخضعهم الملك لسلطانه. وبعد ذلك، كأنهم بلا أجساد، شيّدوا جميعًا مَقامًا مقدّسًا بهيًّا (āyatana).

Verse 5

नवद्बारं पुरं तस्य त्वेकस्तम्भं चतुष्पथम् । नदीसहस्रसङ्कीर्णं जलक्रीत्या समास्थितम् ॥ ५२.५ ॥

كانت تلك المدينة ذات تسعة أبواب، وعليها عمود واحد ومفترق طرق ذي أربع جهات. وكانت منسوجة بألف نهر، ومُقَرَّةً موضعًا للهوٍ بالماء وللتنزّه في الرياضات المائية.

Verse 6

तत्पुरं ते प्रविविशुरेकीभूतास्ततो नव । पुरुषो मूर्त्तिमान् राजा पशुपालोऽभवत् क्षणात् ॥ ५२.६ ॥

ثم إن أولئك التسعة، وقد صاروا واحدًا، دخلوا تلك المدينة؛ وفي لحظة صار الملك إنسانًا ذا جسد، راعيًا للماشية.

Verse 7

ततस्तत्पुरसंस्थस्तु पशुपालो महान्नृपः । संसूच्य वाचकाञ्छब्दान् वेदान् सस्मार तत्पुरे ॥ ५२.७ ॥

ثم إن الملك العظيم، وهو مقيم في تلك المدينة بصفة راعٍ للماشية، أشار بألفاظ دالّة كإشارات، فتذكّر هناك نصوص الفيدا.

Verse 8

आत्मस्वरूपिणो नित्यास्तदुक्तानि व्रतानि च । नियमाञ् क्रतवश्चैव सर्वान् राजा चकार ह ॥ ५२.८ ॥

وأولئك الذين كانوا قائمين أبدًا في حقيقتهم الذاتية، مع النذور والرياضات التي قيلت—بل جميع القواعد والطقوس القربانية أيضًا—قد قام بها الملك كلّها.

Verse 9

स कदाचिन्नृपः खिन्नः कर्मकाण्डं प्ररोचयन् । सर्वज्ञो योगनिद्रायां स्थित्वा पुत्रं ससर्ज ह ॥ ५२.९ ॥

وفي وقتٍ ما، أصاب ذلك الملكَ الإعياءُ فمال إلى جانب الانضباط الطقسي (كارماكاندا). والعارف بكل شيء، إذ دخل في النوم اليوغي (يوغانيدرا)، أوجد ابنًا.

Verse 10

चतुर्वक्त्रं चतुर्बाहुं चतुर्वेदं चतुष्पथम् । तस्मादारभ्य नृपतेर्वशे पश्वादयः स्थिताः ॥ ५२.१० ॥

(إنه) ذو أربعة وجوه وأربع أذرع، مرتبط بالفيدات الأربع، وهو المتولّي للطرق الأربع (مفترق الطرق). ومنذ ذلك الحين بقيت الحيوانات وسائر الكائنات تحت سلطان الملك.

Verse 11

तस्मिन् समुद्रे स नृपो वने तस्मिंस्तथैव च । तृणादिषु नृपस्सैव हस्त्यादिषु तथैव च । समोऽभवत् कर्मकाण्डादनुज्ञाय महामते ॥ ५२.११ ॥

في ذلك البحر، وكذلك في تلك الغابة، كان الملك على الحال نفسها؛ بين الحشائش وما شابهها، وكذلك بين الفيلة وما شابهها. وبعد أن أُذِن له وفق الكرماكاندا (نظام الأعمال الطقسية والكارمية)، يا عظيم الرأي، صار متساويًا، أي غير متميّز عبر تلك الصور.

Inside Adhyaya 52

How it unfolds

  1. Where it opens

    Within the Varāha–Pṛthivī teaching frame, Agastya is invoked as an authoritative transmitter of an origin-lineage that explains how a previously unregulated social field becomes ordered through kingship, speech, and rite.

  2. Central event

    A genealogy unfolds—Trivarṇa arising from a king’s emission; a daughter embodying awakening (Avabodha-svarūpiṇī); a son Manohvā; and descendants described as five ‘enjoyers’ whose sons are collectively called Akṣa—followed by their collective construction of an auspicious nine-gated city (nava-dvāra-pura) with a single pillar and four crossroads, set amid many rivers and engineered waterworks.

  3. Climax resolution

    Upon entering and unifying within the city, a corporeal king, Paśupāla, manifests; he ‘remembers’ Vedic speech, institutes vows/restraints and ritual regulation (vrata–niyama–karmakāṇḍa), and from yogic sleep generates a four-faced, four-armed Veda-totality figure; thereafter animals across ocean/forest/grassland domains come under ordered governance, signaling stabilized polity and ecology.

Geographical context

No explicit toponyms are named. Ecological-spatial markers include: samudra (oceanic region), vana (forest), tṛṇa-ādi (grassland/ground-cover habitats), hasty-ādi (faunal domain exemplified by elephants), nadī-sahasra-saṃkīrṇa (landscape densely interlaced with many rivers), and jalakṛti (constructed waterworks/irrigation features) surrounding the nava-dvāra-pura.

Ritual instructions

  • Primary RitualInstitution of vrata–niyama and karmakāṇḍa as a governance-forming discipline grounded in Vedic recollection (Vedic speech as normative speech).
  • BenefitTransformation of dasyu-status groups into integrated civic participants; stabilization of social hierarchy and conduct through disciplined speech and rite; establishment of a well-watered, habitat-spanning order under kingship (social and ecological balance).

The narrative frame

  • Varāha (primary frame) relaying/hosting Agastya’s accountPṛthivī · Pedagogical-mythic and etiological (explaining origins of social order through genealogy, city symbolism, and ritual authority).

The emotional journey

  • Dominant RasaŚānta (ordered calm) with undertones of Vīra (sovereign force)
  • Emotional ProgressionFrom liminality and unruliness (dasyu condition) → collective building and spatial coherence (city-making) → awe and legitimacy (king’s manifestation and Vedic recollection) → settled equilibrium (ritualized governance and ecological stewardship).

Planning a pilgrimage

  • Visit FeasibilityNot directly mappable as a single historical tirtha in the chapter summary; best approached as an allegorical ‘body–city’ and polity-foundation motif rather than a visitable site.

Frequently Asked Questions

The chapter frames social order as produced through disciplined speech (Vedic recollection), regulated conduct (vrata and niyama), and institutionalized rites (karmakāṇḍa). It depicts the transformation of formerly outside groups (dasyu) into participants in a constructed civic and ecological order, suggesting that governance is enacted through both spatial planning (city, crossroads) and normative practice (vows and ritual regulation).

No explicit calendrical data appear in the provided verses: there are no named tithis, nakṣatras, months, or seasonal markers. The only temporal structuring is narrative (e.g., “kadācit,” and the interval of “yoga-nidrā”), which functions as a literary timing device rather than a ritual calendar.

Environmental ordering is implied through the description of a settlement embedded in a river-rich landscape (nadī-sahasra-saṃkīrṇa) with deliberate water constructions (jalakṛti). The narrative also links kingship to habitat-spanning oversight—ocean, forest, grasses, and animal domains—presenting terrestrial balance as maintained by coordinated infrastructure, regulated practice, and integrated stewardship across ecosystems.

Agastya is the named sage-speaker within the chapter’s report. The text outlines a lineage sequence—Trivarṇa, Avabodha-svarūpiṇī (as a daughter figure), Manohvā, and the Akṣa-named descendants—alongside the emergence of a king titled Paśupāla. These function as mythic-cultural archetypes for genealogy, polity formation, and ritual authority rather than verifiable historical dynasties.

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